With most persons being provided with ever increasing amounts of leisure time, various games, hobbies and pastimes have become increasingly popular. Many persons prefer an activity somewhat more active and involved than merely passively watching television or the like, however, and enjoy the challenge of solving a puzzle of some difficulty. So called "picture" puzzles in particular have an advantage in that they may be worked by a single person, and do not require a second or additional persons to act as an opponent(s), as do many games and the like.
The relative simplicity of the general concept, while still providing virtually unlimited complexity insofar as the number and combinations possible with the individual puzzle pieces, along with the ability of an individual to work alone, have maintained the popularity of such puzzles over the years. However, such puzzles have traditionally tended to a relatively few configurations over the years, primarily comprising a puzzle face printed upon only a single side of the sheet comprising the puzzle, with a multitude of uniquely shaped and generally interlocking puzzle pieces. The back side of the sheet is generally left blank, and such puzzles are generally of relatively large size in order to achieve the desired degree of difficulty for the assembler thereof.
The need arises for a picture puzzle which includes puzzle faces upon both sides of the puzzle sheet. By forming most or all of the individual puzzle pieces to have congruent shapes, or with only a very few different shapes for the multitude of pieces, a greater degree of difficulty may be achieved with fewer puzzle pieces, thus allowing the puzzle to be assembled in a smaller area. Conversely, greater difficulty may be achieved than with a conventional puzzle having an equal number of pieces and area. The present puzzle also provides for several different puzzles, by using individual quadrants or other partial areas of one side of the entire puzzle to form smaller individual puzzles, and/or using all of the pieces to form one or more puzzles on the opposite side of the sheet. The opposite puzzle(s) may be assembled from the individual puzzle pieces in an order completely different from that used for the assembly of the first side puzzle(s), or may comprise an assembly of the completed first side puzzles.